Australia Sets Children Vaccination Record

New data released for the March 2019 quarter reflects a very positive vaccination trend in the country of Australia.

The immunization rates for all 5-year-old children in Australia reached an all-time record of 94.78 percent.

At March 2019, Australia’s national vaccination coverage rates were:

94.14% for all one-year-olds,

91.15% for all two-year-olds,

94.78% for all five-year-olds.

More impressive is the vaccination rate for 5-year-old Indigenous Australian children reached 96.66 percent, as of July 6, 2019.

The Honorable Mr. Greg Hunt MP, Minister for Health, said to the Guardian, “The latest figures show that the vast majority of parents are hearing the message about the benefits of vaccinations and I am delighted that our public health campaigns and our immunization programs are protecting all Australians.”

The data shows the proportion of children fully immunized at age 12 months, 24 months and 60 months according to the National Immunisation Program (NIP) Schedule.

'Fully immunized' refers to vaccines on the NIP Schedule, but excludes rotavirus.

This impressive data may be related to the Australian government’s expanded 'No Jab, No Pay’ policy, which became effective in July 2018.

This law reduces welfare payments by $56 per month for certain parents whose children do not meet immunization requirements.

As an example of Australia’s ongoing vaccination success, as of June 2, 2019, more than 150,000 participants have provided feedback following their influenza vaccination.

In 2019, the Australian government approved 4 age-specific quadrivalent influenza vaccines for people aged under 65 years.

For those aged 65 years and over, an enhanced trivalent vaccine will be available.

The peak influenza period in most parts of Australia is from June to September each year.

Influenza vaccines are available from GPs, community health clinics, Aboriginal Medical Services or other immunization providers in your state or territory.

A full description of the basic methodology used can be found in Communicable Diseases Intelligence, more information on the vaccination schedule and national due and overdue rules for childhood immunization are available from the Australian Government Department of Human Services website.

The Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) records vaccinations given to people in Australia across their whole life span.

The National Centre for Immunisation Research & Surveillance (NCIRS) uses AIR data to calculate vaccine coverage estimates for all children and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.